Lou+E.+Davis

In September of1913, 27-year-old Anna Adler died in Chicago, on the scene of an abortion performed by Dr. Lou. E. Davis that day. Davis was arrested that day, and she was indicted by a Grand Jury in October, but the case never went to trial.

In April of 1924, 26-year-old homemaker Mary Whitney underwent an abortion at the Chicago office of Dr. Lou E. Davis. in May, Mary died at St. Mary's Hospital of complications of that abortion. Dr. Davis was held by the coroner in May.

In November of1928, 22-year-old Norwegian immigrant Anna Borndal died at the office of Dr. Lou E. Davis of Chicago, from complications of an abortion performed there that day. Davis was held by the coroner for unintentional manslaughter. She was indicted by a grand jury for homicide.

In December of 1928, 23-year-old Esther V. Wahlstrom died in Chicago from complications of a criminal abortion. Dr. Lou E. Davis was indicted for felony murder. I've found a clue that Davis was convicted in this case, and appealed the conviction.

Irene Kirschner, age 24, died in May of 1932 after an abortion. When police went to arrest Davis for Irene's death, they found another abortion-injured woman at her house but no sign of Davis.

Davis was tried three times for the February, 1934 abortion death of 27-year-old Gertrude Gaesswitz. The first trial resulted in a hung jury, the second in an overturned conviction. Davis was acquitted in the third trial.

Census records indicate that Davis was born about 1887 in Ohio. According to "Abortion", an article by John Bartlow Martin published in The Saturday Evening Post May 27, 1961, Davis was committed to a mental institution in 1949 at the age of about 77.

